The Savannah City Council voted unanimously on Monday to award O.C. Welch Golf Properties Inc. the management contract for Bacon Park Golf Course. Welch, 58, grew up playing golf at Bacon Park, worked at Bacon Park in his teens and has publicly and emotionally clamored to be chosen through advertising and social media since submitting a proposal in November.

The contract is for 12 years with an option to renew for an additional four years in 2026, which will also be the 100th anniversary of Bacon Park opening. On Monday, Welch promised council members he would not let them down, and Mayor Edna Jackson pledged to support his efforts to resurrect Savannah’s municipal golf course.

“I’m extremely happy to be moving forward with the next chapter in my life,” said Welch, who is the president of O.C. Welch Ford Lincoln in Hardeeville. “My life has come full circle, and I look forward to hanging my hat (at Bacon Park). I hope I die there ... but no time soon.”

Before the motion to accept Welch’s proposal was passed, Jackson playfully teased Welch about the impassioned campaign to be Bacon Park’s savior and, more importantly, opened a door for a more collaborative relationship between the city and the golf course.

“That was a well-oiled campaign you have been running, but you can stop now,” said Jackson, who toured Bacon Park earlier this year and said she was startled by the poor course conditions. “You have a chance to put your signature on something important for our city. You’ve got a lot of challenges and work ahead of you, and anything the city can do to support you, we are standing at the ready.”

The request for proposal was originally published by the city in September, but one proposal was deemed unsuitable and another proposal from Bacon Park’s current management company, EDR Management, was withdrawn. During the second round of submissions, only Welch and current Bacon Park employee Michael Collins submitted proposals, and Welch’s proposal was recommended for approval.

A four-person committee consisting of Joe Shearouse, Bureau Chief for Public Facilities, Events and Services Bureau; Assistant to Leisure Services Bureau Chief Pearson Deloach; Director of Parks and Recreation Barry Baker; and Leisure Services staffer Shirley Smith scored the proposals and made a recommendation to city council.

Welch’s proposal was chosen for recommendation based on several criteria, including qualifications and experience, operational concepts and plans, extent and caliber of proposed capital improvements, references, fees and participation of minority- and women-owned businesses.

Welch’s plan includes a capital investment of more than $2 million over the life of the 12-year contract as well as a redesign that would return the course to its original layout conceived by famed golf architect Donald Ross in 1925. Welch plans a minimal raise of the cost to play and plans to complete a comprehensive facilities restoration that will include the golf course, golf cart paths, concessions, equipment and irrigation.

“I want to emphasize that all of the advertising and social media and stuff had nothing to do with this decision,” said Shearouse, who appeared with Welch before City Council.

“We had five criteria, and (Welch) presented a proposal that covered all five criteria.”

The proposal submitted by Collins proposed leaving Bacon Park as a 27-hole facility but investing only $225,000 during the 12-year contract period. Collins’ proposal also did not address the maintenance and repair of the driving range net, irrigation pumps and bridges on the course that have fallen into disrepair.

“I don’t have a lot to say, but I’m very disappointed,” Collins said. “I’ve been there for 10 years and somehow (Welch) is more qualified to run (Bacon Park) than I am? I’m a little speechless right now.”

Welch said he will begin discussions with the city immediately to prepare to transition the course from EDR Management to O.C. Welch Golf Properties effective Feb. 1. His proposal includes a PGA professional as well as a management team, but Welch said he is not at liberty to name the members of his staff at this time.

Welch’s first order of business will be a massive cleanup and beautification project at Bacon Park that will include removing trees and planting as many as 1,200 new trees on the property. He told the council that returning the golf course to its original 18 holes will take time, but during the renovation and redesign he will make sure there are 18 playable holes at Bacon Park.

“We need a good five-year plan, because there’s not one hole on the golf course that doesn’t need work,” said Welch, who has engaged the Donald Ross Society to help with the restoration of the course layout. “It’s going to take a lot of work to get people to come back, and we’ll be implementing an aggressive marketing plan to bring people back. If someone like me didn’t get involved (with Bacon Park), it would have closed in the near future because it was becoming an embarrassment to the city.”